Jumping for toys is different, this is a chase drive. She likes to play fetch right? So there very well could be a decent amount of prey drive in there. (which for the most part is what flirt pole is "activating" .. not the best term but it works.) Or it could just be a retrieval urge.

Celesteandthebullies wrote:Jumping for toys is different, this is a chase drive. She likes to play fetch right? So there very well could be a decent amount of prey drive in there. (which for the most part is what flirt pole is "activating" .. not the best term but it works.) Or it could just be a retrieval urge.

With her, im thinking more of a retrieval thing. Shes likely a mix, if shes got any lab in her like first guessed when i got her...then that would make sense. Would be curious to try the flirt pole with her, but dont know anyone close who has one....well i dont know anyone close period

Celesteandthebullies wrote:Jumping for toys is different, this is a chase drive. She likes to play fetch right? So there very well could be a decent amount of prey drive in there. (which for the most part is what flirt pole is "activating" .. not the best term but it works.) Or it could just be a retrieval urge.

With her, im thinking more of a retrieval thing. Shes likely a mix, if shes got any lab in her like first guessed when i got her...then that would make sense. Would be curious to try the flirt pole with her, but dont know anyone close who has one....well i dont know anyone close period

Drive to retrieve is something that plenty of dogs have, not just labs or other retrievers. That insinct had to be there in dogs already in order for it to be selectively bred for.

My dog used to be a fetching fiend before old age got in the way, and I very much doubt she's got any lab in her. Same with your girl; she doesn't look very labby to me at all.

As far as her weight goes, I think she could stand to be a bit leaner. You can do that pretty easily by upping her exercise a bit more and reducing her food slightly, just to keep pace with her metabolism slowing as she ages. It's also a good idea to do as others suggested and split her meals up into two instead of just one.

starrlamia wrote:They are cheap to make, grab a broom handle and tie a string to it, if she chases buy something more sturdy

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Easier is to take a piece of PVC pipe and run a rope through it, longer than the section of PVC. Tie a big knot in one end, so it doesn't pull through; leaving a few feet of rope coming out the other end. Tie a toy or piece of hide on that free end. Presto. Cheap, easy, and done.

Also for learning purposes, why is it better to feed twice a day instead of 1 time? Shes been fed once a day her whole life with me. I also sleep in late, so its always worked out perfect that way, and a huge majority of my friends all feed once a day.

So whats the benifit of spreading it out if its the same amount of food?

My 2 cents, for what it's worth - sounds like a combo of just her maturing and filling out plus a little extra chub. Not a ton - she isn't what I would call fat - but you could cut back on food a smidge and she wouldn't starve or anything. If you are fretting over cutting back her food, try putting in some cooked green beans or carrots or something similar. Keeps up the bulk but lower in calories (do this while cutting back her food a little, in case that wasn't obvious).

For a pet I think she's fine. But if you are active with her, and it sounds like you are, I'd consider scaling her weight back a little. I'd guess maybe 5 pounds, but go with how she feels/looks, not the number on the scale. When she is standing up straight you should see some rib. If you took a picture of her tuck after around 5 pounds of weight loss it will probably look a little more pronounced which would be a good thing imo.

Nichole wrote:My 2 cents, for what it's worth - sounds like a combo of just her maturing and filling out plus a little extra chub. Not a ton - she isn't what I would call fat - but you could cut back on food a smidge and she wouldn't starve or anything. If you are fretting over cutting back her food, try putting in some cooked green beans or carrots or something similar. Keeps up the bulk but lower in calories (do this while cutting back her food a little, in case that wasn't obvious).

For a pet I think she's fine. But if you are active with her, and it sounds like you are, I'd consider scaling her weight back a little. I'd guess maybe 5 pounds, but go with how she feels/looks, not the number on the scale. When she is standing up straight you should see some rib. If you took a picture of her tuck after around 5 pounds of weight loss it will probably look a little more pronounced which would be a good thing imo.

Nods. I cut her food back a little for tonight's feeding. The big issue I have with feeding twice a day, is shes really not that interested in food. She only eats because she has to, otherwise she wouldn't do it. If I'm around, she will stop eating and look at me... She would much rather be snuggling with me then eating, so I have to feed her in her crate, and be out of the room. That being said, if I were to wake up early and try feeding, she would have no interest in it and she wouldn't eat. When we were at the last place where she was the only dog, I free fed her, and she would still only eat at night when she got hungry and had no choice but to eat.

Sarah wrote:Length of the pipe is kind of up to you, and the size of the space you are going to play in. Mine is about 5', but that's really a little long for my small yard, I should shorten it up.

Ok cool, I was asking because its a matter of cost to me. I don't wanna buy this huge piece of PVC when i only needed a short bit .

starrlamia wrote:They are cheap to make, grab a broom handle and tie a string to it, if she chases buy something more sturdy

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Easier is to take a piece of PVC pipe and run a rope through it, longer than the section of PVC. Tie a big knot in one end, so it doesn't pull through; leaving a few feet of rope coming out the other end. Tie a toy or piece of hide on that free end. Presto. Cheap, easy, and done.

Whatever is laying around, I had a broom handle with an opening to be hung up so it worked :P

Agreed. Not that tough to feed twice a day, even if you get up late, the feedings don't need to be 12 hours apart. Smaller meals allow for more efficient digestion/use of calories. The body tends to store what it doesn't use and this follows the same concept as you not eating a huge meal before you go to bed after not eating all day. Though it's a preference really.

Easiest flirt pole, IMO, is a buggy whip (if you are in a horsey area and have feed stores around) they are cheap and durable and have really nice flex to them. They come ready to tie a toy right on.

Murfins wrote:Ime, a lot of times a dog who doesn't show that much interest in eating is being overfed - generally, not always.

From the photos I would take a few pounds off of her.

Well i can honestly say that isnt the case with her. Shes been this way from the first day i met her when she came in off the streets. Shes always preferred my company over food. That's part of why i adopted her. We have such a strong bond and connection. All she wants in life is to be by my side.

I have cut back tho... It seems the most likely cause is her slower metabolism with age as others have said. Im cutting her food back slightly, and as the weather allows, i will be getting her a lot more exercise. See where that gets us for now.

Kingsgurl wrote:Agreed. Not that tough to feed twice a day, even if you get up late, the feedings don't need to be 12 hours apart. Smaller meals allow for more efficient digestion/use of calories. The body tends to store what it doesn't use and this follows the same concept as you not eating a huge meal before you go to bed after not eating all day. Though it's a preference really.

Easiest flirt pole, IMO, is a buggy whip (if you are in a horsey area and have feed stores around) they are cheap and durable and have really nice flex to them. They come ready to tie a toy right on.

Ah ok, thank you for explaining the benefits. I will see how this goes for a week or 2 on just less food and more exercise for now. If that doesn't work, i will switch to feeding twice a day and go from there. Also, thank you for the info on the makeshift flirt pole. I will probably try making one first to see if she will take any interest in it before spending money on one. Even if its a crappy rough draft version... just to see if she will go for it or not. If so, then ill look into the buggy whip idea.